Catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons



July 23, 1929. G. EGLOFF CATALYTIC CRACKING OF HYDROCARBONS n 33 c N .v/4

Original Filed Jan. '7. 1921 Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,722,042 PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV EGLOFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTSCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

CATALYTIC CRACKING OF HYDBOCARBONS.

Application filed January 7, 1921, Serial No. 435,580. Renewe'd May 12,1927.

This invention relates to the catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon oils andrefers more particularly to the cracking of hydrocarbon oils, expandedVapors of which are catalyzed to light oils under high pressure.

Among the salient objects of my invention are to provide a process ofcracking hydrocarbon oils by means of pressure in excess of 1,000 poundsto the square inch and passing the vapors from the expanded liquidthrough catalyzers such as the oxides of metal, as calcium oxide,converting same into light oils; to provide a crackin process for theconverting of the generate vapors from the expansion of the liquid underpressure by means of catalyzers under high pressure; to provide acracking process of catalyzing the generated vapors resulting from theexpansion of the hydrocarbon liquid, passing from a low volume containerto a large volume container in the presence of a catalyzer; to provide acracking process of converting hydrocarbon oils to light oils by meansof heat and pressure and passing the vapors formed due to expansionthrough a layer of catalytic material which increases the velocity ofthe cracking reaction and simultaneously desulphurizes and purifies theconversion products of the reaction; to provide a process of convertingheavy hydrocarbon oil into light oils by means of high pressure andsubjecting the generated vapors to the action of the chloride of a metalsuch as zinc chloride, which acts catalytically on the generated vapors,thereby increasing the velocity of the conversion reaction.

The single figure represents a view, partly in side elevation and partlyin vertical cross section, of my improved apparatus.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 designates a furnace of a crackingsystem, 2 the burners set therein and provided with stack 3. 41 is aheating coil through which the raw oil of the system is pumped by meansof pump 5. Upon coil 4 is placed a pressure gauge 6 and control valve 7.To control valve 7 pipe connection 8 is attached to expansion chamber 9.In said expansion chamber 9 is placed a perforated tray 10 havingcatalytic mate rial such as the oxide of a metal or the chloride of ametal placed thereon. Pipe 12 connected ,with condenser coil 13 hascontrol valve 14 set therein. Condenser coil 13 is set in watercondenser box 14. Pipe 15 attached to receiver 16 has a control valve17. To receiver 16 it attached gauge glass 18 for determining the liquidlevel therein, and a pressure gauge 19 is set upon the to of saidreceiver. Pressure distillate pipe 20 1s a liquid drawofi having valve21 connected therewith. Attached to expansion chamber 9 is a residuumdrawofi' pipe 22 having valve 23 as a control.

A typical method of operation of this apparatus and process was tocharge the heating coils with the raw oil to be treated and heat sameuntil a pressure of upwards of 1,000 pounds is reached as indicated bythe gauge. Control valve 7 is slowly opened while more raw oil is pumpedinto the heating coil. The oil flowing out of the heating coil throughthe control valve 7, passes into the expansion chamber 9 extendingtherein. The vapors from the oil pass up through the catalytic materialon the pan 10 and control valve 14 is kept closed until the samepressure as that on the heating coil is obtained. The'valve 14 is thenslowly opened until the pressure is uniform to the uncondensable gaspipe 24 and control valve 25. When 1,000 pounds pressure is reached onthe entire system, pressure distillate is drawn ofl through valve 21 andpressure controlled by the uncondensable gas valve 25. The raw oil pumpfeeds oil into the system continuously until the end of the operatingcycle. However, we have found that with certain oils, a differentialpressure is advisable to use between the heating coil and expansionchamber and the water condenser.

For example, a pressure of 1.000 pounds may be maintained upon theheating coil, and 300 pounds on the expansion chamber; between theexpansion chamber and the receiver, that is, between valve 14 and valve17 the pressure may drop between 300 and 150 pounds and 7 5 poundspressure -on the receiver.

With fuel oils and heavy asphaltic oils, I have found that adiilerential pressure is advisable to use in different parts of theapparat-us for high velocity conversion to light oils. However, thereare even exceptions of this. When particularly refractory oils are to becracked, such as Pine Island gas oil or the like, a high pressure shouldbe used throughout the system, for commercial conversion to gasoline andkerosene.

I claim as my invention:

A process of cracking petroleum oil, consisting in passing oil in acontinuously advancmg stream through a cracklng zone where said oil issubjected to a cracking temin the chamber to pass through a catalyticperature while maintained under a superatbed comprising a relativelythin layer of a 1 mospheric pressure, in introducing the oil metallicoxide supported in the vapor space to an enlarged chamber wherevaporization of said chamber, in discharging vapors from 5 thereofoccurs, in reducing the pressure in the chamber, and in condensing saidvapors said chamber below the pressure maintained for collect-ion aspressure distillate. on the oil in the stream but above atmospheric, incausing the vapors from the oil GUSTAV EGLOFF.

